Windows RT

Microsoft’s Internet Explorer has come a long way from the days of IE6 and may even represent one of the best touch screen web browsers around. Other third party companies don’t want to be left out of the future though, and Firefox has been the strongest advocate as its beta version of Firefox for Windows 8 continues to be developed. Recently, a blog post by Mozilla’s Brian Bondy, revealed that one annoyance of using Internet Explorer on the desktop and modern interface, will be remedied.

Many Apple users have been asking Microsoft when Office for iPad will be released, and to their dismay, the project is being delayed. While this may be a disappointing notice for iOS lovers, Microsoft fans should be excited, because the delay is a result of the company wanting to focus on Office “Gemini” – a touch optimized Windows 8 set of Office applications.

Nokia finally unveiled a Windows tablet at its conference in Abu Dhabi last month, the Lumia 2520 (pictured above), but already rumours are starting to come out that Nokia is working on a follow-up. Codenamed the "Illusionist," trusted Twitter leakster @evleaks has revealed that an 8-inch device is well on the way. Unfortunately, not much else was teased in terms of specification or imagery.

Nokia announces the Lumia 2520, their first Windows RT 8.1 tablet with a 10.1-inch display and Zeiss optics.

Nokia. Windows 8. Tablet. Yeah, it’s happening. Nokia’s been rumored to have a tablet in the pipeline for years now, but has finally announced one here at Nokia World 2013 in Abu Dhabi. The Lumia 2520 is the first device from Nokia powered by a Snapdragon 800 processor. This might look like your typical tablet running Windows RT on paper, but it has the typical Nokia twist you find in their smartphones. Let’s take a look at some of the official specs before we get our hands-on with the device shortly.

If you've been following news of the Windows RT 8.1 update, you'll know that Microsoft has pulled the release due to some issues that consumers have experienced while attempting to upgrade their tablets (be it Surface RT or other models from OEM partners). Redmond has now released a Surface RT 8.0 recovery image, which can be used on a "bricked" tablet to take you back to original factory configuration.

WinSuperSite's Paul Thurrott says that he can confirm that the Nokia will indeed be releasing the 10.1-inch tablet and has offered up some specifics about it, including some specs, pricing and accessories.

Nokia has been covered in the new multiple times when it comes to Windows tablets. While we're still yet to see a Nokia branded tablet hit the shelves around the world, a Nokia "Sirius" Windows RT tablet has now been leaked. Better still, it looks like a giant Lumia.

Windows RT has had a rough year. It launched alongside Windows 8 late last October, but hasn’t exactly fared well in both sales and reception. It’s been tough to sell to consumers with the Surface RT being considered a flop by many and other OEMs not doing any better. Asus is now joining the growing list of OEMs who aren’t going to be working on Windows RT in the near future.

Believe it or not, Microsoft is working on a second-generation of Surface devices. If you had any doubts, you can put those to rest. But what exactly is going to be powering the different variants of Surface? Most of you are really wishing for a Haswell version of the Surface Pro (I am), but what about RT? Comments from Nvidia’s CEO, Jen-Hsun Huang, indicate that you’ll find some more magic from Nvidia.

If you’ve been using your Surface RT, you may have noticed that the device does not support external Ethernet support. Even if you run out and purchase Microsoft’s $80 USB to Ethernet adapter (which is a complete rip-off for those who are unaware), the device still will not work with your shiny new "productivity" tablet.

Microsoft has slashed its Surface RT pricing in the UK. Through official channels, the Windows RT tablet (32GB model) can now be picked up for just £279, a massive drop from the usual £399. If you're into more storage, the 64GB version is available for £359. This is the base price point so if you're wanting a keyboard and other accessories, you'll be further adding the cost up.

We’re not too sure about this story, folks, so take it with a grain of salt. For quite a few months now, we’ve heard reports of Nokia working on a Windows 8 tablet (originally RT, then reportedly they went with full 8.x), though up until now we have never seen one.

These images, posted in the Windows Phone Central Forums by Rubik_H2CO3, may or may not be legit. The specs are a bit dated: Tegra 3 1.3Ghz processor, 2GB RAM, HDMI-OUT, USB Port, SIM Slot, 16point touchscreen, running Windows RT. The poster notes that they think this prototype was dropped due to the Tegra 3 chipset, which is used in a handful of Windows machines these days.

Microsoft’s Windows 8 app store has yet to be a juggernaut of variety and applications. We had previously heard that the company mentioned this holiday season as a goal date to bring a majority of popular apps to the platform. Yesterday at Build 2013 in San Francisco, Microsoft’s loveable CEO Steve Ballmer stated that Facebook, Flipboard, and NFL apps will be arriving soon.

Microsoft has pushed out an update for its Xbox Music client on Windows 8. The app enables consumers to tune into their favourite genres with collections and more that's store in the cloud and available on multiple hardware with a respective client. This latest release introduces a few minor improvements.

A team at Microsoft advertising set out last year to create “a series of new and truly unique ad experiences.”

Today, they are finished and are presenting prototypes from their journey. Five iconic brands including All Saints Clothing, Mercedes-Benz USA, Vans Shoes, MasterCard, and Dell are ready to strut their stuff. Let’s take a look at some of the ads Microsoft has been working on.

Today the Amazon Kindle app for Windows 8 received a plentiful update, delivering a more enjoyable reading experience for the user. Book lovers can now search inside books, sample recommended books, and enjoy easier in-book navigation.

Microsoft is once again making fun of Apple’s iPad in its latest commercial; this time, it takes on Dell’s XPS 10 Windows RT Tablet.

The advertisement starts out by picking on the iPad’s home screen; specifically the fact that you can’t zoom around and see an overview of your content. The Apple tablet screams “Ouch” in protest as a user tries to pinch the view unsuccessfully.

Microsoft is everywhere and they want you to know that. The two latest commercials (see the second ad after the break) from the boys in Redmond show off the harmonious marriage of various services on Windows 8 and Windows Phone devices. Internet Explorer, Bing, Xbox, Skype, SkyDrive, and the App store - are all touched upon.

While many readers still embrace the paper pages of a book, others have moved on to the embrace of an electronic ink or LCD display. Amazon was the first company to push eBooks into the mainstream market in 2007. Today, many readers choose to pick up a tablet, cellular phone, or dedicated eInk device to dive into a world of adventure. We are taking a look at the top three eBook reading apps (Kindle, Nook, and Kobo) for Windows 8 and Windows RT devices.